Kinds of Righteousness

Kinds of Righteousness

Surah ‘Al-Baqarah (The Cow) – Chapter – 2)

Stage – 1, Verse – 177b of 286, Section –22 of 40 (Part - 2)

BisMIllaahir-Rahmaanir-Rahiim

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

And give away wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free;

Wa  ‘aatal-maala  ‘alaa  hubbiHii  zawil-qurbaa  wal-yataamaa  wal-ma-saakiina  wabnas-sabiili,was-saaa-‘iliina  wa fir-riqaab.

Lesson

‘Alaa  hubbiHii -  (for love of Him) means for the love of Allah Almighty. It is known from this verse that only spending the money is not required but the purpose should be to spend in the path of God Almighty for the sake of Him. It has been gotten also from it that, “while an individual has love for the wealth and he needs it too, even then he spends the money”. From it, we have learnt the excellence of a strong believer also that he has love for money in his heart, his wishes are alive, he wants to spend for himself and his pleasant charming things but he stoops his neck before the commands of Allah Almighty and stopping his wishes, he spends for His sake, and sacrifices his personal affection upon the order of Allah Almighty.

 

Zawil-qurbaa (kinsfolk, relatives), there is a great wisdom hidden in supporting the relatives to provide them financial help. The Economic System of the entire Nation has been established on it. Every well-to-do person should look after at first his poor relatives, family members, brothers, sisters, brother’s sons, sister’s sons (nephews and nice) and other relatives.

 Fir-riqaab (to set slaves free), this is plural of Raqabah. Its literal meaning is neck. In usage, it signifies towards the people who aren’t free and are ‘slaves’. From this order, it aims that by compensating to free them; is righteousness.

It was commanded in the first part of this verse that the righteousness is not the name to turn the face for worship only towards any special direction but for becoming the Good, first condition is to correct the beliefs and completion of the faith. Now other part of the righteousness is being discussed as financial sacrifice. It is commanded: It is true that the human being has love for the wealth and property but a good individual is he, who having love for money, spends it upon others for the sake and love of God Almighty. Out of the needy and helpless deserving people, first priority is close relatives, then the orphans, the poor, the wayfarer, the beggar, and the compelled and slaves who are deprived of freedom.

And observe proper worship and pay the poor-due.

Wa  ‘aqaamas-Salaata  wa ‘aataz-Zakaah.

Lesson

It has been being mentioned for the last two lessons that real and true soul of the righteousness is not that an individual worships considering any direction sacred and turning his face unto that direction. Moreover the real soul of the righteousness is to correct the beliefs, fair deals, to worship properly, to correct the manners and to do the works, which have been explained in Holy Qur’an, that is to say; the beliefs of the people should be those, for which, Holy Qur’an demands and the individual should behave with other people as the Law of Divine guides.

After the faiths and the financial sacrifice, Holy Qur’an has discussed about the other part, i.e. worshiping properly. From the acts of worship, the greatest worship is physical and financial sacrifice. In the form of physical worship, it is offering the prayer and for the financial worship, it is to pay the poor-due. Many excellence of the prayer have been explained in the Holy Qur’an itself on different places as well as it can also be found in many Sayings of the Messenger of God Almighty (glory, grace, blessings and peace be upon Him).

The Prayer has an important part in the Islamic society. The Prayer stops the human being from the evils and indecency, and keeps away from His disobedience. The Prayer is ascension of the Believer. It strengthens the spiritual, moral and social life of the individual.

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In the financial worships, paying the poor-due is the most fundamental worship. It is obligation on every well-to-do person that he should pay 2.5% out of his wealth once a year to the needy people in the path of Allah Almighty. This Zakah (the poor-due) prescribed by Holy Qur’an; is so much necessary and useful that if the Muslims pay it regularly; then none from the nation may starve to death. The situation of suicide cannot arise due to poverty and unemployment. Nobody can wander from door to door for begging. Displacement, poverty, helplessness and bad situation will not remain in our society, the entire nation will become strong collectively, peace will increase and the doors will open for development.

Discussion about worshiping properly and paying the poor-due has come in the Holy Qur’an nearly together at every place. If those verses are collected in which the matters and commands regarding prayer and Zakah are discussed then its collective quantity is about more than three hundred. It appears that how much important and great are these both obligations in Islam. Without worshiping properly and paying the poor-due regularly, it is difficult to think about any Islamic society, though the Muslims, who don’t perform this duty, about them, it is thought that they are adulterers and deniers, and out of the circle of Islam.

 Transliterated Holy Qur’an in Roman Script & Translated from Arabic to English by Marmaduke Pickthall, Published by Paak Company, 17-Urdu Bazaar, Lahore, Lesson collected from Dars e Qur’aan published By Idara Islaah wa Tableegh, Lahore (translated Urdu to English by Muhammad Sharif)